Collinsville Police Chief Gary Bowen tells the Gadsden Times (http://bit.ly/1q5sGXa ) a recent cyberattack left department officials unable to access mug shots, vehicle maintenance records and time sheets. Bowen says the issue may be linked to someone in the department opening a dubious email attachment.

Diana Dolliver is an assistant professor in the University of Alabama Criminal Justice Department. Dolliver says many police departments have fallen victim to similar attacks and paid ransom to restore access to their files.

Dolliver says computer users should only open links and attachments if they’re absolutely sure they’re associated with legitimate senders or websites.